**please note due to low rating I will not be leaving a public review for this book as I have not paid for it.**

1 Star
I really struggled to get into this book. I didn't like the characters and at no point did it grab me.
Sorry for the negative feedback but thanks for allowing me to give it a go.

This book is fun! A rattling good read with some fantastically over the top chracters glittering with designer gear, jealousy, desire and revenge, This is a silly story but goodness me it is enjoyable. If you love Riders, Rivals or any of the Cotswold Sage of Jilly Cooper's oeuvre then you will like the world the Melanie Blake has imagined into life. I love a cast of glamourous beautiful and slightly older people (most in their 40s - hurray) who are backstabbing, sh**ging and wildly plotting like teenagers, The is your perfect beach listen, lay back, enjoy the sun, grab a cocktail and let Melanie Blake whisk you away into a shiny world of larger than life chracters and plots to make your eyes pop. It's a bonkbuster in the old style!

Guilty Women is based around the set of a soap opera, Falcon Bay, and follows the stories of the women who work on the show. There are murders, disappearances and lots of sex!

I'm used to reading psychological thrillers and crime fiction, and this book was a bit on the edge of my preferences. The story was ok, but I found the whole thing very unrealistic and just a bit "meh". I also found that some of the chapters were really long; I listened to the audiobook and a few chapters were around an hour each!

I'm giving this book 2.5* rounded up to 3.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for sending me an ARC in return for an honest review.

The island of St. Augustine is home to the glamorous long running soap opera Falcon Bay. During a disastrous live episode one of the actresses died. Her four close friends are determined that the show will continue to reign and that they will have full control over the production, however there are suspicions that the death wasn't an accident.

This reminded me so much of the "bonkbusters" of the 70's and 80's by the likes of Jackie Collins and Judith Krantz, as such I wouldn't suggest listening to this if there are children around. The show Falcon Bay is a homage to American soaps such as Dynasty and Dallas, where strong women in glamorous outfits rule the roost.

The story is pure escapism with each new "event" eclipsing the previous and a conclusion that is impossible to predict.

Claire King narrates well and keeps you interested despite being over 12 hours long. I did find it difficult to keep track of some of the characters. They are mentioned at the beginning of the audiobook (and obviously are in the print version).

Revenge, murder, sex and greed… Guilty Women has it all.Well crafted characters, an underlying sense of menace and an immersive narrative combine for a suspenseful, one sit read/listen.

The women are determined that the show must go on – no matter what it costs, however, there is one problem they don't know what the true cost will be. This is my first Melanie Blake book but I shall definitely read more. Opening with the death of Madeline Kane this book is instantly full of intrigue and lies, what are they hiding about that fateful night. As the story unfolds, we discover more about the character's flaws and what they want to conceal from the world, can you ever really run from your secrets. A must read if you love Soap Operas and Dramas.
This would have been a 5 star but I feel like the Honey Hunter storyline could have been fleshed out I'm hoping there will be more about her in a sequel.
#GuiltyWomen #Netgalley

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thankyou #netgalley #melanieblake #harpercollinsaudio for a audiobook copy of this book for a honest review.
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At first glance of the chapter, I couldn’t understand a thing. Then a realise it’s a part of a first book. It should be on that sequence so you can understand better .
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Full of lies and secrets from celebrity soap opera. Really good to burst out every detail. Just not a fan of some of the narrators, it’s a 2⭐️ For me to them.
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Lacking of murder and deceit, but it was great for someone new to thriller story.



❤️Shaye.reads

A soap opera with a bunch of actresses with a few shattering secrets...

Guilty Women meets Days of our Lives. They will stop at nothing to keep the ratings up and covering any dirty little secrets. But can they continue to get away with it until the end?

I have not read Book 1 but got into this story really fast and absolutely painless.

A really good story base that keeps you wondering when it will all shatter their famous lives. Kept the pace and kept you on the edge until the end. Very solid character building with enough insight to follow each ones roles.

The narration was really superb,

Thank you once again Netgalley and HarperCollins UK Audio for this audiobook ARC.

Guilty Pleasure…
The audio version of the fabulous follow up to Ruthless Women, Guilty Women arrives with a bang. A gathering on an island off the English coast, four beautiful and glamorous women assemble. The fifth is missing and only they know why. As tensions escalate and emotions run high, these woman know only that the show must go on. Whatever the cost. What scandal is about to emerge and will anyone come out unscathed? Or is every single one of them as guilty as hell. With a wonderfully crafted cast and a pacy, breathless storyline, the audio bringing to life the story with a perfectly nuanced rendition, this is a definite guilty pleasure that has it all

Guilty Women is the sequel to Ruthless Women, which I didn’t realise. No real need to read in order as this book goes over previous happenings of the soap stars and staff on Channel Island TV.
Not my usual read but an enjoyable read.